What Could Have Happened
by imaginationoverload97
Summary: Alternate Ending to Avengers Assemble episode, "Hulked Out Heroes".


**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Avengers Assemble.**

"Hawkeye!"

The Avengers could only watch as Hawkeye pushed the civilians out of the way, leaving him directly under the falling car. Hulk quickly threw the offending car far into the distance and picked up the archer with a gentleness most would claim impossible for him. As he turned to the rest of the Avengers, he realized that the green gas had somehow turned them all into "hulk-version". Hulk knew that he would have to contain them, but first he had to get Hawkeye out. Jumping to Avengers Tower, he carefully placed his unconscious teammate on a bed in the sickbay.

"Jarvis."

"Yes, Hulk?"

"Put the sickbay in complete lockdown and filter all air that comes in. I am the only one who can override this command. Nobody gets in, not even me, until lockdown is lifted. Also, monitor Hawkeye and keep me updated."

"Yes, Hulk."

Hulk went to deal with the rest of his teammates, but his mind was still on Hawkeye. However, being the Hulk meant that smashing was right up your alley, medical procedures, not so much. Not long after, Jarvis contacted him.

"Hulk, the scan of Agent Barton is complete."

"Tell me!"

"He seems to have suffered several broken bones, including three ribs and his left arm. However, he is also experiencing considerable internal bleeding."

"How bad?"

"He can continue without treatment for no more than 36 hours, but it is not recommended."

"Let me know if he gets worse."

"Yes, Hulk."

After dealing with his afflicted teammates with the help of Black Widow, Hulk picked up Stark, who was still unconscious. By the time they got there, Tony was very much awake.

"Hulk! Put me down!"

"Call off the lockdown."

"Okay! Just put me down!"

Hulk dropped the genius unceremoniously on the ground. After Tony had deactivated the lockdown, Hulk scooped him up again and they took off towards the sickbay.

"Hulk! What are you doing?!"

Just then, Jarvis addressed the Hulk.

"Hulk, Agent Barton has only one hour left before treatment will be ineffective."

"Shut up!"

Now Tony was highly concerned.

"Hulk, what's wrong with Hawkeye?"

"Car fell on him."

Tony paled. He remembered witnessing that, but he had somehow managed to forget it what with turning into a hulk and all. _What kind of leader am I, forgetting that one of my teammates is severely injured?_ By this time, they had reached the sickbay, and Hulk disabled the lockdown and put Tony down. He rushed over to Hawkeye, who lay, disturbingly pale and still, on one of the beds.

"Jarvis, what are we looking at?"

"Three broken ribs, a broken left arm, and copious internal bleeding."

Tony was lost for words. Sure, he was a genius, but this sort of thing was beyond him.

"We have to get him to a hospital, **NOW**."

With that, he donned his Iron Man armor, picked up his friend as carefully as possible, and blasted off to the hospital.

They got him into surgery just in time, another five minutes and he would have lost too much blood. He would still need to recover for a while, which meant total bed rest for two weeks and only light exertion for another three. Tony dreaded the point at which they would have to keep Hawkeye down. The man was extremely stubborn.

Finally, the day after he had been brought back to Avengers Tower from the hospital, the archer woke up to the faces of Tony and Captain America.

"Wha-What happened?"

Tony answered. "Long story short, a car fell on you."

"Yeah," Hawkeye said with a wince, "I remember that now."

"You suffered massive internal bleeding; we got you to the hospital just in time."

"Well, how long do I have to stay down?"

Obviously, this kind of thing had happened before.

"Bed rest for two weeks, light exertion only for another three."

"For crying out loud! It's just a few broken bones!"

"Clint, you were bleeding internally. Right now you're running on a little less than half of your regular blood supply."

That quieted him for a minute. Then, he continued in a more subdued tone.

"Sorry guys, didn't mean to worry you."

"You sure you're all right? You just apologized for something."

"Yeah, well don't get used to it."

At that point, his eyes slipped closed and he was asleep.

Tony and Cap looked at each other. If a simple conversation had exhausted him that much, they really were working up from ground zero.

"At least at this point he won't be trying to make a run for it."

"He'll try, he just won't get very far."

**Continue?**


End file.
